Method and apparatus for plant culture

Abstract

The method including the steps of growing plants supported on a structure with pendant portions of the plants extending downwardly therefrom and moving the pendant portions of the plants upwardly over the plants prior to harvest. The apparatus having a conveyor with a grasping section operable to introduce the pendant portions to the conveyor for transport therealong and a releasing section operable to release the pendant portions from the conveyor and a mount borne by the conveyor for securing the conveyor on a vehicle for transport along the plants with the grasping section deployed for contact with the pendant portions and the releasing section disposed above the plants for releasing the pendant portions on to the plants.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: 
     
       1. An apparatus for disposing pendant portions of plants in attitudes suited to a selected objective, the apparatus comprising a conveyor having a grasping section operable to introduce objects to the conveyor for transport therealong and a releasing section operable to release objects borne by the conveyor therefrom, said releasing section being spaced from said grasping section; and means for mounting said conveyor on a vehicle for transport along said plants with the grasping section deployed for contact with the pendant portions of the plants and the releasing section disposed above said plants to release said pendant portions for retention in attitudes rested on other portions of the plants. 
     
     
       2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said grasping and releasing sections of the conveyor are spaced from each other a distance permitting passage of portions of the plants in movement relative to the apparatus therebetween. 
     
     
       3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the mounting means is adapted to mount the conveyor on a vehicle with said releasing section of the conveyor extending laterally of the vehicle farther than the grasping section whereby the releasing section extends a substantial distance over the plants during transport therealong. 
     
     
       4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said grasping and releasing sections of the conveyor are interconnected by a return bent section bounding a passage for movement of the portions of the plants therethrough relative to the apparatus during transport along the plants. 
     
     
       5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the mounting means is adapted to mount the conveyor on said vehicle for movement by the vehicle in a predetermined direction of travel with the conveyor canted relative to the direction of travel so that the grasping section is deployed forwardly of the releasing section relative to said direction of travel. 
     
     
       6. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said releasing section is mounted on the return bent section of the conveyor for adjustment thereon to select the point of release of said pendant portions of the plants. 
     
     
       7. An apparatus for disposing pendant portions of the vines in attitudes suited to a selected objective, the apparatus comprising a frame having predetermined first and second portions spaced from each other to define a passage therebetween; means for mounting the frame for earth traversing movement along a row of said vines with the first portion thereof disposed in proximity to the pendant portions of the vines and the second portion disposed to pass above the vines and laterally of the first portion with the row passing in relative movement through said passage; a conveyor borne by the frame having a flight movable along a path from the first portion to the second portion of the frame; and means for driving the conveyor to move said flight along the path during said earth traversing movement whereby the conveyor transports said pendant portions of the vines from the first to the second portions of the frame to place the pendant portions over the vines. 
     
     
       8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the conveyor includes a housing having a slot therein extending from the first portion to the second portion of the frame and a continuous chain, having a plurality of members secured in spaced relation thereon, borne by the frame having a run thereof constrained in the frame to move along a path with said members extending through the slot in the housing and outwardly therefrom to define said flight of the conveyor whereby said members capture the pendant portions and transport them to the second portion of the frame. 
     
     
       9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the housing has a releasing section borne by the second portion of the frame and divergent forwardly with respect to the direction of said earth traversing movement from the remainder of the housing and said run of the chain to cause said members successively to move within the releasing section upon reaching the releasing section during movement of the chain along the path to release pendant portions of the vines therefrom. 
     
     
       10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said releasing section of the housing is movable relative to the housing and substantially transversely of said direction of travel to select the position for release of the pendant portions from the members. 
     
     
       11. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said members are individually angularly related to said chain to define an acute angle with the chain facing in the direction of movement of said run along the path. 
     
     
       12. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said mounting means is adapted to mount the frame on a motorized vehicle for movement in a predetermined direction of travel along the row with the conveyor deployed laterally of said direction of travel substantially conforming to the row and with the conveyor rearwardly inclined with respect to said direction of travel from the first portion to the second portion of the frame and wherein the conveyor extends more than one half the width of the row and above said row. 
     
     
       13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein a flexible rod is mounted on the apparatus extending rearwardly with respect to said direction of travel and transversely of the row resiliently to apply pressure downwardly on the pendant portions of the vines and against other portions of the vines during movement of the apparatus along the row.